User blog:Grannelle/The Collector's Journey - The Next Step
When I started out collecting Gogo's Crazy Bones, I literally had no idea what they were; the local Walgreen's store had a small basket sitting on the counter next to the cash register filled with packages of singles, with a little hand-lettered sign attached which stated, "Free! Take one." I realized immediately they were some type of toy, something that I, a man in his late-fifties, had absolutely no interest in. However, the bright red packaging and images of strange monsters on the label compelled me to pick one up for further examination.I felt a pang of guilt, thinking they were obviously meant for any children who happened to be standing in line impatiently waiting for the adults who held their hands to finish their transactions, and was about to put it back. But something about them struck a chord deep within me - a feeling I hadn't experienced in decades, it was a new toy I didn't have, and wanted. Desperately. I later learned they were Gogo's Crazy Bones, and the reason they were free was because of a promotion called the Walgreen's Million Gogo's Giveaway. I further found out that had I taken more than the 3 or 4 I did I might have lucked out and scored a figure named Miro-K, only 5000 of which were available worldwide, each with a certificate of authenticity.Had I known this particular figure would later sell on Internet auction sites for up to $100.00 PLUS shipping charges, and that when I began to locate and buy him I would never pay less than 30 bucks for the privelege of owning this little piece of plastic, I realized I would most certainly not cared a whit who these toys were intended for, and grabbed up the entire stock at the first pass. Live and learn. I had taken the figures home and placed them on my desk, thinking they lent an air of whimsy to my very Spartan and no non-sense professional work space. A few weeks afterward, I saw more of them available at Walmart, and since they were only a couple of bucks for a 3 count package, picked up several. In no time at all I found myself seeking them everywhere I went - I also purchased the Gold Series and Advanced tins. It didn't take long before my desk top was covered in what I had originally called, "my little monsters." Each package had come with stickers, also. I love stickers - any kind of stickers. I cover my workspace in them whenever I come across some. And it doesn't matter what kind: officially licensed products, those given away at the doctor's office for having been brave during the visit, even price stickers! All were equal in my eyes. Of course, I had no idea that some of the stickers provided in the Gogo's packages were rarities (Wanted/Most Wanted), and that they were just as collectible as the figures. They were simply stickers to me, and so off came the backing and onto my desktop they went. Once I was told the rarities were selling for upwards of $2.00 I immediately stopped wasting them, and began to organize them in a collector's notebook.Given that as of this writing the stckers are no longer available in Series 4, I get physically ill every time I sit down at my desk and see Cho W, or Hiraku MW, etc., stuck to my keyboard, or a shelf, or whatever. Live and learn. In no time at all I started running out of room to display them. As well, I began to realize how difficult it was to determine just exactly which were Series 1, 2, or 3, or which of each different color available I did or didn't have. So I began to organize them. At the same time I found out about the Wanteds and Most Wanteds. I can remember the very first of those I found - it was Ichiro MW, and I was thrilled to have found one! It was like when I had gone trick-or-treating as a boy, and had just left the house where they were giving away real candy bars instead of the crappy single pieces of toffee that I was always ready to trade, and couldn't because everyone else thought they were crappy as well.. It took no time at all to get the sensation that scoring a W/MW was like discovering gold, diamonds, and oil out in the backyard. I also learned I could take a short-cut by buying them directly from vendors on eBay. I felt as if this were somehow cheating, that by not getting lucky and opening a pack that contained these gems, and instead cutting right to the chase and purchasing what I needed and/or wanted, I was breaking the rules, not playing fair. This was quickly overcome when only a few days after ordering them they came in the mail, and suddenly I was the proud owner of the special, hard-to-find collectables. (This is the end of Part 1) Category:Blog posts